WORK has started on Accrington's long-awaited £8million market square development -- with a promise disruption will be kept to a minimum.

Contractors have moved into Broadway to remove flower beds and benches to make way for a series of new kiosks to encourage 'shopper flow' between the Arndale Centre and the new market. Other stalls will be situated outside the market hall.

Companies involved in the £8million project are Leicester-based developer Helical Retail and Accrington Broadway, a company set up by Bilsdale Properties to undertake and finance the development.

Council leader Ian Ormerod: "It's good it has started. It seems to have been on the drawing board since 1992 but there have been enormous difficulties. I understand that both shoppers and traders will have concerns as it develops and I hope they will feel that they can contact elected members and officers who will try to sit down with them and go through their concerns.

"It's going to be a difficult process and I would ask everyone to be patient and know we can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.

"It's early days. I know there have been certain animosities towards this but if we don't move on we will find ourselves more and more sandwiched between Blackburn and Burnley."

Two years ago market traders were told the massive year-long project was likely to be completed by Easter 2002. But heated legal negotiations led to hold-ups.

Last month fish market traders were moved into temporary kiosks at the top of Broadway and now the first structural changes are being carried out.

The remainder of the timetable is as follows:

Relocation of market stalls to Broadway -- late May to mid-June

Hand over open market site for development -- late July

Start main contract works -- late July

Move market traders from Broadway to new pavilions -- early January 2003

Scheme completed -- May 2003

Nigel Rix, director of Hyndburn First, the area's regeneration agency, said: "We are seeking as far as possible to minimise disruptions to local traders and shoppers but for the next two weeks there will be difficulty in crossing Broadway. But the high fences cordoning off the work are in place because the safety of shoppers is of paramount importance."

Peter Britcliffe, leader of the opposition, said: "I'm delighted what's going on. We have been extremely successful working through the regeneration board."